# Date: 1905-06

ON THE STATUTE
OF THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATION

* ON THE STATUTE OF THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATION
27 MAY 1905; LENIN.

End of December 1904—the moment of publication of Lenin's pamphlet "Declaration and Documents on the Break of the Central Institutions with the Party" (Works, vol. VI, pp. 577–586)—constitutes the dividing line after which an open organizational split between the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks followed (see letter of N. Krupskaya to M. Litvinov of 20 December 1904 in Lenin Misc. XV, pp. 268–269). In a letter to the Zurich group of Bolsheviks setting forth the necessity of a final and open split with the Mensheviks, Lenin wrote: "It is necessary for the groups of the majority to consolidate abroad. Write about this immediately to the Bern comrades... They have already taken this up and will answer you better than I. One must tackle it more energetically. Correspond with all the groups, push them regarding money and materials, establish groups in new places, etc." (Lenin Misc. V, p. 448). After the July (1904) coup in the Central Committee (see Lenin Misc. XV, pp. 400–475), the practical work of the Bolsheviks abroad was extremely hampered. "Conciliation's" representative—Glebov–V. A. Noskov, who arrived abroad at the end of August 1904, set himself the goal of depriving the Bolsheviks of the opportunity to use party funds, printing press, transport, etc. (see his letter to the Central Committee, ibid., pp. 444–452).

The Foreign League was entirely in the hands of the Mensheviks. The Bolsheviks within individual organizations of the League, even before the July coup in the Central Committee, struggled ideologically and practically to gain control of the situation (funds, printing press, transport). After the "conciliatory" coup in the Central Committee, work in a single organization with the Mensheviks became impossible. The Bern Bolsheviks, apparently, were the first to split from the League organization and created the "Group for the Aid of the RSDLP ('Forward')." In March 1905 there took place a constituent congress of the Bolshevik groups that had split from the League, located in Berlin, Paris, London, and Switzerland, at which a foreign organization was created under the leadership of a committee (KZO) and a statute of the foreign organization was worked out. The history of the creation and activity of the KZO has not yet been elucidated in the literature. The KZO's representative at the congress—P. A. Krasinov (Velsky)—in his speech reported on the tasks of the KZO (see Minutes of the III Congress, State Publishing House, 1924, pp. 344–542). At the Third Congress, the following resolution was adopted on the question of the KZO: "The III Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. instructs the Central Committee to examine and confirm the statute of the Foreign Organization as a body possessing full rights of a Party Committee, conducting propaganda and agitation abroad, with the stipulation that the KZO render support and assistance to the Russian movement only through the intermediary of persons and groups specially appointed by the Central Committee" (see below point 3 of statute 30).

"Immediately after the congress, the Central Committee sent a letter to the 'League' and to those in charge of the party's technical apparatus and treasury, asking the former to express its attitude toward the III Congress and the latter to turn over party property to the Central Committee. No answer was received to any of the letters" (from Lenin's article "The Third Step Backward," published in no. 6 of *Proletariat* of 3 July (20 June) 1905 (see Works, vol. VII, pp. 367–374)). "In view of this, the Central Committee confirmed the Foreign Organization, granting it the right to use all the rights of Russian party committees, with the exception of the right of direct communication with Russia (Statute 30 was confirmed by the Central Committee on 18 June of the current year)" (from the note "Foreign Organization of the R.S.D.L.P." in no. 8 of *Proletariat* of 17 (4) July 1905; in this note is set forth the report of the ZO from 3 July and the composition of the ZO, which consisted of 15 local groups and numbered 149 members).

The documents printed below represent: a) Lenin's remarks on the statute of the ZO worked out by the constituent congress (the statute is preserved in the archive of the Institute in a typewritten copy) and b) the statute itself, retyped with amendments and changes introduced by someone from the previous document, and confirmed by Lenin as the representative of the Central Committee.

The draft statute worked out by the constituent congress differs editorially from that typewritten copy which was presented for approval by the Central Committee (document 6) only in point 6) (see below this point and note 4 to it).

Most of Lenin's remarks were entered into the statute in an unknown hand. Lenin's remarks were recopied in the handwriting of V. K. Krupskaya and directed for discussion to the committee of the foreign organization. On Krupskaya's letter there is the date: "27 May 1905" and the signature: "Winter" (Krasin). In the archive of the Lenin Institute there is also preserved a copy under the heading: "Statute of the Foreign Organization of the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party, worked out by the constituent congress of the ZO in March 1905 and confirmed by the Central Committee of the Party on 18 June of the same year," which is an exact copy of the statute confirmed by Lenin (document 6).

* REMARKS ON THE DRAFT STATUTE OF THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATION OF THE R.S.D.L.P., WORKED OUT BY THE CONSTITUENT CONGRESS OF THE ZO IN MARCH 1905

Point 2, delete the second part, as contradicting the party statute (i.e., from the words "members of any..." to the words: "members of the local group").¹

Point 2, note at the end supplement:
"in accordance with the party statute, to the Central Committee of the party"²

Point 3, replace with a new one, on the basis of the party statute, of the following content:
"The ZO of the party, as a union of groups, possesses all the rights of Russian party committees with the sole restriction that it renders support to the Russian movement only through the intermediary of persons or groups especially appointed by the Central Committee."³

Point 6 [second sentence alter thus:] replace with the following:
"The Committee of the ZO is elected annually by the congress of groups. Co-optation to the Committee of the ZO and exclusion of members from it is carried out on general grounds, in accordance with the party statute, as in any party organization."⁴

Point 7, strike out the words:
"The Committee of the ZO has the right to declare local groups withdrawn from the ZO."⁵

Point 12 add:
"From the total sum of income of the ZO as a whole, the Committee of the ZO transmits to the Central Committee, in accordance with the party statute, 90%."⁶

§ 13 delete entirely.⁷

§ 14 without changes.

§ 15 add: "and is confirmed by the Central Committee of the party."⁸

Add:

§ 16. Both local groups and the Committee of the ZO are obliged, in accordance with the party statute, to furnish fortnightly reports to the Central Committee of the party.⁹

¹ Upon confirmation of the statute by the Central Committee, the indicated second part of point 2 was struck out (see below p. 116).

² This addition did not enter into the confirmed statute.

³ Upon confirmation of the statute, the 3rd point proposed by Lenin was written in at the space left free. In the draft statute the 3rd point read: "3) The Foreign Organization is the sole party organization abroad and possesses all the rights of Russian committees, with the exception of the right of direct communication with Russia."

"The Literary Publishing House of the Foreign Organization is under the control of the Central Committee of the party."

⁴ The 6th point in the draft statute read: "The Committee of the Foreign Organization is elected annually by the congress of groups, which also determines the number of its members. In case of withdrawal of its members, the Committee of the ZO proposes, by means of a poll of the groups, candidates for its composition." The point was reworked, taking only the first part of the change proposed by Lenin. The point in its confirmed form see below, p. 117.

⁵ Upon confirmation of the statute these words were struck out.

⁶ Upon confirmation of the statute these words were written in.

⁷ Point 13 was confirmed in the form of the draft compiled in March.

⁸ Upon confirmation of the statute these words were written in.

⁹ The additional point 16 upon confirmation of the statute was written in.

b.

CONFIRMATION OF THE STATUTE OF THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATION OF THE R.S.D.L.P.

The present statute is confirmed.

Foreign Representative of the Central Committee, Lenin. 18. VI. 05.

Attachment:

**STATUTE OF THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATION OF THE R.S.D.L.P.**

1) The Foreign Organization of the R.S.D.L. Party represents a union of local groups of the Party.

A member of the ZO may be anyone who shares the programmatic, tactical, and organizational principles adopted at the Congresses of the Party. All members of the ZO possess equal rights.

2) For the admission of new members to the organization, a majority of two-thirds of the votes of the membership present in any local group of the Party is required.

[Members of any party organization are admitted without balloting upon the absence of two substantiated protests from the side of members of the local group.]

Note: Each group may exclude its members by a majority of two-thirds of the votes. The excluded, as well as those not admitted, have the right of appeal.

3) The ZO of the Party, as a union of groups, possesses all the rights of Russian committees of the Party, with the sole restriction that it renders support to the Russian movement only through the intermediary of persons or groups specially appointed by the Central Committee.

4) The Congress of the ZO—the congress of local groups of the Party—is the highest authority on questions of the internal life of the organization.

A Congress is valid if delegates from half of the local groups of the Party that have the right to vote at it are present.

The Congress is convened no less than once a year.

An extraordinary congress is convened upon the demand of half of the local groups.

5) Delegates to the congress of the ZO are elected by each local group. Each group has two votes.

Note: Groups that have the right of deciding vote at the congress must be confirmed by the Committee of the ZO at least three months before the congress.

6) The Committee of the ZO is elected annually by the congress of groups [which also determines the number of its members]. In case of withdrawal of its members, the Committee of the ZO proposes, by means of a poll of the groups, candidates for its composition.

7) The Committee of the ZO unites the work of local groups of the Party and directs it. It confirms and establishes new groups and distributes forces in the ZO.

[The Committee of the ZO has the right to declare local groups withdrawn from the ZO.]

Note: On all general party questions, the deciding vote belongs to the ZO as a whole.

8) The Committee of the ZO convenes the congress of local groups of the Party. Failing to convene the congress on time, it is stripped of its authority.

Note: The Committee of the ZO does not have a deciding vote at the congress of groups.

9) The Committee of the ZO gives annually to the congress of groups a detailed report on its activities. In the course of the year it publishes, where possible monthly, a bulletin for acquainting the groups with the state of affairs in the ZO, as well as for directing the activities of the latter.

10) Local groups of the Party are obliged to have a secretary-correspondent for communication with the Committee of the ZO; they are also obliged to inform the Committee of the ZO of their membership composition and changes in it.

11) In the organization and conduct of local work, the groups are autonomous.

12) Local groups of the Party transmit all their monetary funds, deducting expenditures for local needs, to the Committee of the ZO; their expenditures are subject to the control of the Committee of the ZO. The latter transmits all sums received into its treasury, deducting its own expenditures, to the Central Committee of the Party. The expenditures of the Committee of the ZO are subject to the control of the Central Committee. From the total sum of net income of the ZO as a whole, the Committee of the ZO transmits to the Central Committee, in accordance with the statute of the Party, 90%.